Skein holder



ec 2, 43 *I vR. HPAK www SKEIN HOLDER Filed Sept. 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY @A Dec. 2, -1941.

R. H. PARK 2,265,003

SKEIN HOLDER Filed sept. so, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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f ATTORNEY Patented ec. 2, '1941 Frick:

SKEIN HOLDER Robert H. Park, Millington, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Cyanamid Company, New Maine York, N. Y., a corporation of This invention relates to skein holders and accessory apparatus, particularly for use with iiioker type recording spectrophotometers or colorimeters. l

In the past, great forward steps have been made in spectrophotometry by the recording icker type spectrophotometer such as those a describedin the patents to Pineo, No. 2,107,836, issued February 8, 1938, and No. 2,126,410, issued August 9, 1938. These devices permit reducing to graphic form the spectral absorption of Various colored materials rapidly and simply. They are, however, open to certain inherent in` accuracies. Thus,' for example, when dealing with a reflectance sample of non-uniform'surface, such as for example a skein of yarn, readings Vare not always accurate for several reasons. In the first place, it is almost impossible to produce a sample surface of yarn which is entirely homogeneous and it is even more diftlcult to produce such a surface which is homogeous in respect to reflection of light. Hence varying results are obtained when the sample is moved or displaced; This introduces an inaccuracy which is of fundamental importance.

It would be a relatively simple matter to obtain a uniform surface for a yarn sample'if 'the yarn were wound on a drum which was then rotated rapidly with respect to the, speed of recorder pen motion so that the reflectance would be an average and hence non-uniform reflectance of individual portions would be cancelled out. In fact, attempts have been made in the past to measure colored skeins of yarn in the spectrophotometer by this means. They are not, however, practical because of the excessive time required to untangle the skein in order to wind yarn on a drum.

The present invention relates to a skein holder on which a skein can be rapidly placed Without untangling. the skein or winding it onto the holder.. The holder is also of such' shape that it can be fitted on a rotating device and rapidly rotated in frontof the sample aperture or window of a flicker type spectrophotometer.

holder -of Fig. 1 with a skein arranged thereon and locked in position;

Fig.4 Vis an enlarged view in horizontal section of the skein locking mechanism of Figs. 1, 2,

and 3 Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the skein holder taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

l Fig. 6 is a plan view of a second form of skein holder shown in `example with a horiozntal section of a spectrophotometer integrating sphere;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the skein holder ofY Fig. 6 taken along the line 1-1; and

Fig. 8 is an example of the spectrophotometer integrating vsphere and skein'holder of Fig. 6 in position being partly in horizontal section and partly in plan view. l

The skein holder consists of a'drum I having a recessed polished face 2 preferably chromium plated an'd anges3 atthe top and bottom. The recessed. face has a slot or opening 4 the sides of which are cut at an angle as indicated at 5. One side of the drum I has a head 6 which supports a bearing 1- adaptable for rotating on or with a shaft. When a skein of yarn is wrapped around the drum I along the recessed face 2 and the ends 8 drawn through the slot or opening 4, the angle of the opening or slot walls 5 causes the yarn to assume a smooth surface and appear as if it had been Wound onto the drum. The

flanges 3 prevent the yarn from slipping off the drum. A

Figs. 1, 2,3, 4, and 5 show one method of holding the yarn taut on the face of the drum. A support 9 mounted on and extending upward from the drum head 6 a distance slightly greater is approximately equal in length to the width of the inner wall of the drum l. `The side of the vertical plate I2 nearest the slot 4 has a thin vertical 4plate I3 with saw teeth. A spring I4 The invention will be described in greater detail in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of one form of the skein holder according to the present invention; A

Fig. 2 is a horizontal elevation of the skein holder of Fig. 1 with a skein arranged thereon prior to locking in position;

Fig. 31s a horizontal elevation of the skein 55 is fastened at one end to anchor I6 on the veru tical plate I2. The arm II is equipped with a I handle I1. v

lin using-the skein holder of Fig. l a' skein of yarn is wrapped around the polished recessed face 2 of the drum and the two ends 8 of the skein are drawn through the opening or slot 4. While this 'is being done, the arm Il is held in the non-operative position indicated in Fig. 2v

by the spring I4., The ends of the skein 8 are drawn taut causing the individual strands of the inner wall of the drum I as indicated in Figs;

3 and 4.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8, a second method of holding the skein tightly against the face of the drum is shown in which the support I9 extending upwardly from the drum head 6 has mounted thereon and heid by the screw 20 a single member having a pair of laterally extending arms 2I and 22 mounted in such a manner that they can rotate around the support I9. The laterally extending arm 2l extends from near the bottom of support member I9 along the drum head 6 to a distance near the inside surface of the drum I and has a projecting pin 24 near the end. The laterally extending arm 22 extends from near the top of support member I9 in the same general direction as arm 2| but at a slight angle thereto and approximately 'one-half as long. The outer end of arm 22 has handle member 23 to which one end of the spring 25 is made fast, the other end of the spring being made fast to anchor 26 on the inner surface of the drum I.

When a skein of yarn is wrapped around the recessed face 2 of drum I and the ends drawn through the opening or slot 4, it may be held tightly against the face of the drum as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 by slipping the ends of the skein 8 over the pin 24 on the arm 2I and the arms 22 and 2l moved in the direction indicated in Figs. 6 and rwhereupon the action of spring ard 30 might be reflected directly across to the sample 3|. Such cross reflection affects the accuracy of the instrument. To prevent it and improve the accuracy there is provided a projection or iin 32 on the integrating support wall projecting sufficiently far to cut oil direct reflection from standard to sample and vice-versa.

In operation the spectrophotometer is oper- It is a further advantage that the skeini is easily removed from the drum without unwind?. ing or cutting and may be preserved intact for further reference. l

The present invention is not limited to thc particular mechanical designs shown in the description of the invention, but broadly includes l any means to clamp or hold the skein ends after ated in the normal manner and the skein holder is rapidly rotated by means of a shaft through the/,bearing 'I from any suitable source of power (not shown). The rotation of the skein holder is preferably made suflciently rapid with respect the rate of recording pen motion so that the reflectance of the skein on its surface is aver'- aged out.

It is an advantage of the present invention that skeins of yarn can be loaded onto a skein holder not only rapidly but with a high degree of uniformity. The strands of the skein are easily arranged around the outer surface 2 of the drum and held tightly thereon. The uniformity of the skein surface on the drum is 2. A skein holder for holding a skein of yarn for spectrophotometric measurements comprising a drum having a narrow slot adapted to receive a loop of the skein and means positioned inside the drum for applying tension to the loop whereby the skein is held tightly against the outer surface of the drum.

3. A skein holder for holding a skein of yarn for spectrophotometric measurements comprising a drum having a slot of sufficient size to permit drawing of skein ends therethrough and means positioned inside the drum for holding the skein ends firmly against the inner surface of the drum so that the skein is held tightly against the outer surface of the drum.`

4. A skein holder for holding a skein of yarn for spectrophotometric measurements comprisl ing a drum having a recessed external surface with an upper and a lower flange, the said recessed external surface having a slot of sufcient size to permit drawing the skein ends therethrough and means positioned inside `the drum. for holding ,the skein ends so that the skein is held tightly against the recessed external surface of the drum.

5. A skein holder for holding a skein of yarn for spectrophotometric measurements comprising a drum having a recessed external surface with an upper and a lower flange, the said recessed external surface having a slot of suflicient size to permit drawing the skein ends therethrough and means positioned inside the drum for holding the skein ends firmly against the inner surface of the drum so that the skein is held tightly against the recessed external surface of the drum.

6. A skein holder for holding a skein of yarn for spectrophotometric measurements comprising a drum having a recessed external surface with an upper and a lower flange, the said recessed external surface having a slot of suilicient size to permit drawing the skein ends therethrough and means positioned inside the drum for applying tension to the skein ends so that the skein is held tightly against the recessed external surface of the drum.

' ROBERT H. PARK. 

